At first glance, I hated it. I hated the photo that my 8 year old daughter had taken of me and my other two daughters sitting on the couch and cuddling. The very first thing I saw were my stomach rolls bulging out of my pants, and then my eyes were drawn to my double chin that was highlighted by my joyful smile. Then, Little C looked at me and said, “Mom! Isn’t this the most adorable picture of you and the girls? I’m going to use it as my background on my tablet so that I can see you every time I open it up. You are so pretty.” This isn’t the first time one of my children has reminded me how beautiful my “mom bod” is, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

I know a lot of you – my dear readers – are mamas too, so today I want to chat about our mom bodies. I want to write honesty about the changes my body has gone through since becoming a mother and how I’m owning each change. I’ve wanted to write about this here for some time now (I touched on it a few years ago), so I’m so thankful that TENA has inspired me to do it and is sponsoring this dialogue today.

Here are 5 ways my body has changed since motherhood and how I’m owning it:

I’m embracing my fuller beach body and summer swimsuit look!

1: More Body Weight

With each pregnancy, I gained over 50 pounds. That’s a lot of weight for a petite woman! It was really hard for me to lose the weight after all 3 pregnancies – hardly any of it came off until I stopped breastfeeding each baby, and I’m still heavier than I was pre-babies. How I’m owning this? I’m slowly getting used to my curvier self, and learning to love my fuller figure. I do want to be a healthy mama for my girls, so my main goals are to eat healthy foods (like lots of veggies and whole grains) and exercise daily. When I’m busy, it’s hard for me to do both, but I’m trying not to be too hard on myself and reminding myself that each day is a fresh new start!

2: Thinner Hair

My hair fell out in clumps postpartum. Did yours? It was frightening! My head of hair has never been the same since. It’s not as thick as it used to be, and it’s a lot different to style. How I’m owning this? I’ve discovered the wonderful world of dry shampoo, and I can usually go 3 days without washing my hair. A quick spritz of dry shampoo in the morning gives my hair some body and texture, and if I feel like styling it, a large curling wand can add even more bounce to my locks.

3: Stretch Marks

It was so weird – I didn’t have one little stretch mark for my first two pregnancies and then – boom! – baby 3 brought with her a host of marks on my stomach, breasts and thighs. I was surprised after I found my way out of the 3rd newborn fog to find these little stretch marks all over my body. How I’m owning this? I honestly don’t give them a second thought. They’re like little trophies that prove I’ve carried 3 precious babies in my womb and helped them enter this world. How do you feel about your stretch marks?

4: Different Skin

Is it just me, or does a person’s skin chemistry change after giving birth? I’ve always had problems with large pores and acne, but my condition only got worse postpartum, and it’s still difficult to manage now. Not only do I still have acne at 34 years old, but I’m starting to battle under eye circles and sagging skin like most tired mamas. How I’m owning this? When I see the bags forming beneath my eyes, I’m reminded that I need to REST. It’s such a foreign word to us, right? We often put our children and husbands before ourselves and forget that we need to take care of our bodies in order to take care of our clan. Better sleeps and taking a little time to give myself a DIY facial helps me take care of my skin.

My goal this summer is to appreciate my mom bod and not let any of these changes prevent me from enjoying life to its fullest with my girls. I want to swim in the lake with my daughters – instead of thinking about the size of my thighs, I want to think about the size of my smile. I want to go camping with my family – instead of thinking about the state of my hair, I want to think about the state of my heart. I want to ride my bike around the neighborhood with my girl – instead of thinking about unexpected leaks, I want to discover an unexpected adventure.

Learn more about the unexpected leak and how to manage it by watching the video below:

Tell me: How are you feeling about your body post-pregnancy?

Thank you for letting me be transparent with you today, and thank you to TENA for helping me open up about my mom bod

Comments

I more or less look the same after having two babies, but my body has definitely taken a hit. I’m a dancer and for about 6 months after having my second I didn’t think I’d be able to dance again due to severe joint pain brought on by pregnancy and childbirth. I’ve spent the last year going to physio, the chiropractor, massage therapy, pilates and working out almost everyday and am overjoyed to report that I’m dancing again! I’m still not pain-free and have come to accept I might never be, but I have two beautiful, healthy daughters and can still do something I love. Can’t ask for much more than that! Thanks so much for sharing this post, Christina. I love when moms are transparent about the struggles of motherhood. Because, damn, it can be really, really hard.Larissa recently posted..5 of Canada’s Most Sustainable Buildings

All these things that no one mentioned in childbirth class! But really these kids are worth it all 🙂
I used to be a nurse for a urogynecologist and I assisted with all types of pelvic floor reconstructive surgeries. I definitely recommend seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist! They can teach much more than just levels to strengthen the pelvic floor and improve SUI!

Girl, get pelvic floor physio done. My physiotherapist and midwives say it can help even women who are 20 years post partum.

I love how you are owning your mom bod, and it made me glow when I read what Little C said about the photo of you and your girls. It’s true, they don’t care what we look like. Our children think we are our most beautiful when we are happy.

I’m embracing the messy hair, makeup-less photos with my daughter when she wants to take them. I know I will want those photos when I am in my 50s, so I will just take them.

Girl, you honestly look great. And the fact that you went through everything that you went to to birth your beautiful daughters makes you even more beautiful! I have a friend who just gave birth on July 1st and I see her in a completely different way. After seeing her in the hospital bed going through all of the pain that she went through for her daughter… she (and you!) is beautiful in a completely different way! Hubby and I have been trying to conceive for almost a year and a half, and – I could do without the pain, but – I am so excited for the day that I get to become “Mom-Beautiful”.

My body has changed a lot with 3 babies (and I’m at the end of pregnancy #4 now). I always lost all the weight, and expect to this time as well. I also got back into reasonable shape, not where I was pre-kids, but still exercising and fairly fit. But some things – like an umbilical hernia that gets worse with each pregnancy – definitely are beyond anything I can manage on my own. Might see a surgeon next year, as I think I’m done with 4.

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